Arch-supporter for flat feet.



No. 2381 7343. I PATBNTED MAR.10,*1908. B. RUHMANN. 4

- ARCH SUPIPO-RTBR FOR FLAT FEET.

APPLICATION HLBD APR-10.1907. 5

' 2 szizms-snnm 1.

INVENTOR,

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS N0. as1,s4a.l PATENTED MAR. 10,1908. I k B. RUHMANN.

yARon SUPPORTBR FOR FLAT FEET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10.1907.

2 SHEBTS-SHBBT 2.

c4 v I BY 7 v ATTORNEYS rnsrrsn sin st ore.

BENJAMIN RuHMANN, or JERSEY or'rv, new JERSEY.

ARGH-SUPPORTER non FLAT FEET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 10, 1808.

Application filed April 10. 1907. Serial m'ss'mov.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN Runrmun, citizen of the United States, reslding at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new an useful Improvements in Arch-Supporters for Flat Feet; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of fheinvention, such as will enable others shilied in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, wliihhform a part of this specification.

' The present invention has reference, genorally, to improvements in that class of devices known in the art and to. the trade as arch supporters and the resent inventron relates, more partlcular y, to a novel which is designed to be worn uponrthe inside of a boot or slide of n. erson suffering with the disease of the foot nown es flat-foot.

"'This invention has for. its principal objects to provide :1. novel and simply con structed arch-supporter which is especially designed for the purpose of gradually building up the broken-down condition of ffiatfeet, without pain or perceptible discomfort to the patient or user of the'device, and

thereby causing such fiat-feet to assume their natural arch shape or natural condition; and, furthermore, thisinvention provides a novel arch-supporter in which the supporting arch-membor is interchangeable, whereby the height of the said supportingarchmay be gradually increased, until the foot is returned to its normalshape;

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple, strong endurable, as

well as an adjustable archisupporters, for the purposes hereinabove stated;

The invention consists, primarily, in the novel arch-support for flat-feet, hereinafter more fully se'tiorth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the various arrange ments and combinations of the parts comprising the device, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The said invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which Figure 1 is Iplan view 0 a complete archsupporter emodying the principles of the present invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are the respective opposite side edge-views of the device. Fig. dis a longitudinal vertical sec tion of the arch-supporten Fig. 5 is a plan view of the holder or base of the crch-sup portingwmember or element, said arch-sup portingmember being removed therefrom. *igs. 6 and 7 are, respectively,side-edgeviews of'the arclrsupporter, illustrating a holder or base equipped with the interchangeable arch-supporting-nxembers of dif-- ferent heights. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of a slightly modified construction of holder or base for the said arch-supporting-members.-

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to

\ lndlcate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the complete, arch-sup orter, ready to be in serted in the boot or s cc of the wearer, the same comprising a base-plate 2, which is preferably provided with a centrally disposed cut-away portion or opening 3 ada ted to lighten or reduce the Weight of the said basep ate, the said base-plate being preferably constructed of metal, and furthermore being adapted to conform in its outside periphery or marginal configuration to the outline of the bottom of the foot. Secured upon the base-plateby means of rivets 4, or in any other suits e manner, is a-heel-plate, being made of a slightly concave or depressed conformation so as to provides depression 6 in the said heel-plate 5, whereby a more comfortable and secure seat for the heel of the wearer. is provided. the heel-plate 5 is rovided with a downwardly or inwardly c amfered portion 7 and adapted to form-a groove between said heelplate 5 and said base late 2. Secured to the forward part of the ass-plate, by means of rivets 8, or in any other suitable manner, is a. ball-plate 9, upon which will t the ball of the foot of the wearer, the said ball-plate 9 The inner edge-plate of bein formed with a slight taper or incline towar the forward edge, so as toprovide a comfortable connection of the same with the sole of the shoe. The inner edge of said ball plate 9 is also provided with a downwardl and inwardly chamfered portion 10, whic provides a groove between said ball-plate 9 and said base-plate 2, said groove being situated directly opposite the groove formed by lofthe'ch'amfered edge 7 of the heel-plate 5 and base-plate 2, substantially as illustrated.

' Ada ted to be slidably and removablyar- 3 range in the grooves formed upon the base- "plate 2, in the manner hereinabove described, are arch-supporting. members 11, the opposite end edges of said interchangeable archsupporting members being provided with .cha miered portions 12 adapted to coincide with the chamfered ortions 7 and 10 of the heel-plate 5 and be -plate 9, respectively,

' and which form inconnection with the baseplate 2 the above mentioned grooves. The

said 'archsupporting members 11 are provided with upwardly curved or bowed porizs tions 13 of different degrees of-height, said portions 13 being ada ted to support and gradually raise or lift t c arch of the foot of the wearer, in the manner to be presently snore fully described. Each arch-support1ng so member is furthermore provided with an upwardly extending side-sup orting plate 14, said side-supporting plate eing adapted to be curved or shaped in such a manner,

that it will conform to the general shape of the foot of the wearer.

Referring now more particularl to Fig. 8 of the drawin s, there is illustrate therein, a slightly mod' e d construction of base-plate,

' designed to bemade of cast metal. In this 340 construction, the base-plate 15 is also prothe drawings, it will be clearly evident, that the present invention provides a comfortable and very complete and efficient arch-snip- I porter for those sufieringlwi h flatfeet. T e

feature, whereby interc angeable arch-supporting members of diiierent heights may e operatively connected or secured to the t0 holder or base-plate, is a very desirable one, I since it permits the wearer or user of the "arch-supporter to gradually a'ccnstom himself to the support, by first using a low archsupporting member. As soon as the patient plate, substantially as and for the purposes senses becomes accustomed thereto, the arch-supporting member 11 is readily removed and replaced with a higher arch-supporting 11101111 her, which in time is also removed, and replaced with a still higher member 11, without or discomfort to the patient, the flat toot being finally built ,up to its natural and normal condition.

I claim: 1. In an arcl1-supporter, the combination,

of a base-plate, a concave heel-plate con nected therewith, a chamfere'd portion 11 )on the inner edge of said heel-plate adapte to form in connection with the base-plate a groove, a ball-plate connected with the forward part of said b ase-plate, a chamfered portion upon the inner edge of said ball-plate adapted ta form in connection with the baseplate a groove, and an arch-supporting memer adapted to be slidably and removabl arranged in the said grooves formed in thebaso set forth.

i 2. In an arch-supporter, the combination, of a base-plate, a concave heel-plate connected therewith, a chamfered portion upon the inner edge of said heel-plate adapted to form in connection with the base-plate a groove, a ball-plate connected with the forward part of said base-plate, a chamfered portion upon the inner edge of said ballplate adapted to form in connection with the baselate a groove, and an arch-su porting mem er adapted to be slidably an removably arranged in the said grooves formed in the base-plate, said arch-supporting member comprising an upwardly bowed portion, chamfered portions on each of the end edges of the said upwardly bowed portion, adapted to coincide with the chamfered portions of the said heel-plate and the said ball-plate, and an upwardly extending side-supporting plate adapted to conform generally to the shape of a foot and embrace a part of the side of a foot, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an arch-supporter the combination, of a base-plate provided with a heel-plate and a ball-plate, said heel-plate and said ballplate being provided with chamfered inner edges adapted to form in connection with said base-plate a pair of oppositely'situated grooves, and an: arch-supporting member slidably and remov'ably arranged said grooves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an arch-supporter the combination, of a,base-platie provided with a hehl-plate and a ball-plate, said heel-plate and said ballplate being provided with chamfered inner edges adapted to form in connection with said base-plate a pair of oppositely'situated grooves, and an arch-supporting member slidably and removably arranged in '-.said' 

